Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09CHISINAU542
2009-07-14 14:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Chisinau
Cable title:  

MIXED ASSESSMENT SO FAR FOR NEW

Tags:  PGOV PREL RS MD 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO6975
RR RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
DE RUEHCH #0542 1951455
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 141455Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY CHISINAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8157
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L CHISINAU 000542 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECLASSIFY 07/14/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL RS MD
SUBJECT: MIXED ASSESSMENT SO FAR FOR NEW
ELECTORAL PERIOD

Classified by Charge d'Affairs a.i. Kelly
Keiderling under 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L CHISINAU 000542

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/UMB

E.O. 12958: DECLASSIFY 07/14/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL RS MD
SUBJECT: MIXED ASSESSMENT SO FAR FOR NEW
ELECTORAL PERIOD

Classified by Charge d'Affairs a.i. Kelly
Keiderling under 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) After the Charge described President
Obama's recent visit to Russia (septel),Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs and European
Integration Valeriu Ostalep asked about the U.S.'s
current assessment of the election campaign. The
Charge noted we had heard indications that the
Central Election Commission (CEC) was not prepared
to invite ENEMO (European Network of Election
Monitoring Organizations) to observe the
elections. The Charge reminded Ostalep that
President Voronin had told Ambassador Chaudhry
that he welcomed observers. Perhaps the CEC
hadn't heard about the President's remarks, the
Charge mused. Given that the MCC Board was going
to review Moldova's conduct of elections, among
other issues, it would be a shame if Moldova
closed its doors to observers, the Charge added.


2. (C) The Charge and the political officer
(notetaker) offered Ostalep a broad, mixed
assessment of electoral developments to date. In
the negative column, the Charge listed putting PRO
TV's frequencies up for tender when Moldovan law
provided for the automatic renewal of licenses;
freezing Chisinau municipality's bank accounts and
thus hindering the city's efforts to check voter
lists; threatening to shut down web portals
unimedia.md and faces.md; giving OSCE/ODIHR a hard
time in obtaining visas for Romanian, Serbian and
Croatian observers; and making serious and non-
credible accusations that the opposition wants to
undermine Moldovan statehood.


3. (C) Some neutral developments included
summoning former PM Vasile Tarlev and RFE Bureau
Chief Vasile Botnaru to be questioned by
prosecutors about the April 7 violence. The
Charge noted that, depending on one's point of
view, the questioning could be interpreted as
harassment or as appropriate law enforcement work.


4. (C) As positive electoral developments, the
Charge mentioned efforts to address the balance
and fairness of TeleRadio Moldova and more open
interaction with and information from the PCRM
through former MP Grigore Petrenco.


5. (C) Ostalep argued that Unimedia had been
publishing illegal inflammatory comments ("Kill
the Communist"),and that the GOM was trying to
force City Hall to pay fines, for which it was
responsible, to the European Court of Human
Rights. He said that some ODIHR observers had
been turned back because they requested airport
visas--something that had not been possible since
January 2008. The MFA had urged the ODIHR
officials to apply for visas at any Moldovan
embassy. On PRO TV, Ostalep said it was his
understanding that a public tender of a frequency
was required at the end of the licensing period;
the Charge explained that the 2006 broadcasting
law made renewal automatic (absent technical
violations, such as percentage of local content).
Moldovan authorities should simply implement the
law and renew PRO TV's license, the Charge urged.


6. (C) She also noted that the GOM had created an
atmosphere in which even such otherwise minor
issues as the airport visa were interpreted as
negative of GOM intentions. The GOM had created a
bad impression and a crisis of trust, but during
this electoral period had an opportunity to
improve its image.

KEIDERLING